UNDERTAKING A MAJOR REMODEL, ADDITION, OR NEW BUILD WITHOUT A PROFESSIONAL BUILDER
Homebuilding is more complex than most people realize. I’m all for DIY but know your limits. It takes years for skilled professionals to learn the business and there are constant changes to the industry, materials, and codes that make it difficult to keep up. Acting as your own general contractor may seem easy, but as my dad told me when I changed college majors to business management, you have to know what it is you are managing to be effective. It is better to find a competent builder you can trust that charges a reasonable fee for their services and hire them.
CHOOSING A BUILDER BASED PRIMARILY ON PRICE
Many of the horror stories you’ve heard about homeowners’ bad experiences with builders can be attributed to selecting the lowest bid (or not having proper expectations set up front). Make an informed, thoughtful, and purposeful decision and don’t fall into the trap of selecting the lowest bid. Don’t hire a builder if your gut instinct tells you not to. Go for your instinct, not a discounted price.
EXPECTING WORKERS TO BE ON YOUR JOB ALL DAY, EVERY DAY
There will always be days when little or no work is occurring. This could be because inspections are scheduled, materials need time to dry and cure, rain (or the resulting muddy conditions) are stopping work, materials or sub-contractors are delayed unexpectedly, etc. I’ve heard the stories but have personally never worked for or met a builder who didn’t want to move as fast as possible without compromising quality. Unless there is no explanation for slow periods, relax and trust your builder has things under control and your best interests in mind.
UNDERESTIMATING THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SELECTIONS BEFORE BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION
This is the quickest and easiest way for a project to run over budget and fall behind schedule. If you don’t have selections made and are working from allowances, it is your responsibility to ensure the allowances are adequate from the beginning and stick to them. Even then, not knowing what is going to be installed can lead to re-work, delays, and additional costs. Selections need to be thoroughly thought through to make sure products are compatible with each other and work with the existing mechanical rough ins. Is that sink going to fit in the shallow cabinet and still connect to the drain where it is located? Is the gas line roughed in the right location for this specific range? Is the solid surface backsplash going to conflict with the faucet handles? There’s more to making selections than picking pretty products and the early these decisions are made, the better.
GIVING DIRECTION TO SUB-CONTRACTORS ON THE JOB SITE
The builder or their construction manager should be the only one on a job site that you communicate with. The builder sees the whole puzzle, while the sub-contractor typically only understands their specific piece of the puzzle of how everything is planned to fit together. It is not uncommon for us to talk with our clients and sub-contractors together, but conversations with sub-contractors, other than exchanging pleasantries, should never happen without the builder present.